- Nick Pope missed the second half of the season after suffering a shoulder injury
- James Trafford struggled in his debut Premier League campaign with Burnley
- Chelsea are ‘baffling’… Mauricio Pochettino has NOT failed – where do the Blues go from here? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off! Podcast
Newcastle are interested in signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford as competition for Nick Pope.
Mail Sport understands the 21-year-old is seen as a player who could rival their current No.1 rather than come in as a replacement, and he has admirers within St James’ Park.
The Magpies believe Pope is still good enough to enter next season as first choice but, wary of a recent injury record that saw him miss 23 league games last term, they are prepared to invest in another keeper this summer.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale is on the list of targets but, at present, sources say the asking price is too high. Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili is another admired but, like Ramsdale, the fee being mooted is at least £30million.
Trafford, though, would be available for around £20m, and part of that could be made up in future incentives.
James Trafford lost his place in the Burnley starting XI after a succession of high-profile errors
Nick Pope had one Premier League outing in 2024 due to a shoulder injury in December
Aaron Ramsdale is on the list of targets but, at present, sources say the asking price is too high
Newcastle are again having to manage finances with consideration for spending rules, especially as they will not be playing European football next season.
And that is a blow in attracting any goalkeeper to the club, given the loss of the extra games in which an alternative stopper can play.
Chelsea are also said to be interested in Trafford, who joined Burnley for £15m from Manchester City last summer. He is part of England’s provisional squad for Euro 2024.
